Hot-water or ice bag



W. MOEHLE.

HOT WATER 0R ICE BAG. APPLICATION FILED IAN. 5. 1920.

Patented Mams, 1920.

7 IzyI Umrnn STATES' PATENT OFFICE.

'WALTER MoEHLE, or BROOKLYN, NEW Yonai,

HOT-WATER 0R ICE BAG.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented llVIay 18, 1920.

Application-filed January 5, 1920. Serial No. 349,491.

hot water, cracked ice, or other heating or' cooling materials, to be 1applied to the human body for therapeutic purposes. Heretofore these bags have been made either of oblong form with a nipple at'one end in which a plug could be inserted, or in circular form with a nipple fastened at the center and closedby-a bulky cap screwed thereon. Both these forms of closure create large, hard lumps, which produce discomfort when the patient lies on the bag, are apt to leak, and are fairly costly to construct, and attach to the bag. My' present invention overcomes these difficulties and has other advantages to be hereinafter pointed out. The best form of apparatus at present known to me embodying my invention .is illustrated in the accompanying sheet of drawings in which- Figure l is aplan view of the bag,

, Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 3 is a general side view and partial section of the two-partclamp serving as a Stopper, parts being shown in vertical section, and i Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on line 4-4 of Fig. 3".

Throughout the drawings, like reference characters indicate like parts. l, indicates the bag generally, which is preferably of oblong form, flat when empty, and is made of rubber or other watertight flexible material; 2, is `a hole, in one wall of the bag,

' preferably at or near the center, and circular in form. Preferably -this hole is surrounded by a thickened or reinforced portion 3, of the wall which is substantially circular but does not extend quite to the edges of hol'e 2, which edges are left of the same or less thickness than the main portions of the bag walls', so as to form a flexible lip 4. Loops 5, 5, are disposed on opposite sides of hole 2, and preferably are attached to the reinforced portion 3. i

The stopper for hole 2, is formed of a twopart clamping structure both members of whichA have transverse dimensions greater than,A the dun-meter, or corresponding transverse dimensions/of hole 2, so that when the structure isl centered in said hole its members may overlap the edges thereof. Preferably the outer membern 8, of the clamping structure isci rcular and lits into the recess suirounded by the reinforced portion 3 of the bag wall, while the inner member 6,'is of the same general dimensions butisv prefvverably provided with a short, tapered extension or lipvll, which facilitates its int'roduction through the hole intol the bag interior. These two membersuare provided with any suitable means for forcing them together such as the' threaded bolt or stud 7 set in the inner member 6, and projecting through a central opening in the outer member 8, to be engaged by a thumb nut 9.

Some form of spring is placed between the members, such as the cruciform, dished,

spring metal stamping 10, which is perforated at the center to slip over stud 7.

Preferably also the inner face of one member, as 6, is provided with a circular bead l2,- ard the inner face of the other member 8, has a Corresponding groove 13.

In the operation, the clampingv structure with parts heldG apart by spring 10, is seated in hole 2, the lip 1l, seurving to facilitate lthe introduction of inner member 6, through hole 2, into thebag interior. -The thumb y nut 9, isV then screwed down, flexing spring 10, and firmly grasping the thin lip 4, vbetween bead 12 and groove 13,'s0 as to make an absolutely fluid 'tight joint between the lip 4, and the clamping structure. The insertion of the member 6, can bel further facilitated by the operator inserting thumb and forenger of one hand through loops 5, 5, and, by pulling these apart, distorting hole 2.

Loops 5, 5 mayalso serve as means for f attaching straps to be used in holding the bag on the patients body. `They also serve as means for holding the bag 'while inserting the cracked ice, or pouring in the water or other filling for the bag, when the stopper i is removed.

Thebag is applied with the stopper on the side away from vthe patients body so that he is not incommoded thereby, even if he lies on the bag, the bed yielding \`to receivev the thumb nut 9. y

When the bag is to be emptied the nut is unscrewed, the spring 10,forces the clamping members 6, and 8, apart asshown in Fig. 3, and the stopper is easily removed from the hole. During this operation the bag maybe supported by loops 5,( 5, to prevent premature spilling of the fiuid contents.

Various changes could be made in the den tails of the structure described withoutv departing from the lgeneral principle of construction and operation of my invention, and some of the minor features, such as bead. l2, and groove 13, or the spring 10, or the reinforced portion 3 of the bag wall, or the lip 11,could be dispensed with in some cases.

The reinforced ring portion 3, being stronger and more rigid than parts o`f the bag wall surroundlng 1t, and being lpractically'` non-elastic, withstands any radial --opening in one wall, of a two-part clamp overlie the-edges of the hole, and clamping,

comprising. a disk-shaped member adapted to be introduced into the bag interior andA underthe edges of the hole, said member having all its superficial dimensions greater than the corresponding vdimensions of the said hole and having a tapered extension lip adapted to facilitate such introduction, and an external, disk-shaped member .adapted to means for forcing said members together to grasp between them the edges of the bag` wall around the hole, and so form a water tight joint therewith.

2. The combination, with a bag having an I opening in one wall, of atwo-part clamp comprising a disk-shaped member adapted to be introduced into the bag interior and under the edges of the hole, said member having all its 'superficial dimensions greater than the corresponding dimensions of the having 'a hole in one wall, the material of Whichwall is thickened around the hole so as to form a circular reinforcement for the immediate edges thereof, which edges are left thin and flexible, and a stopper for said hole comprising a disk adapted to fit into the circular depression within the ringshaped reinforcing portion, a second disk adapted to be inserted through the hole into the bag and then underlie the flexible edges of the hole, and clamping means' adapted to press the two disks together -upon either side of said flexible edges of the bag wall.

.4. The combination of a waterftight bag having a hole in one wall, the material of which wall -is thickened around the vhole so as to forma circular reinforcement for the immediate edges thereof, which edges are rleft thin and flexible, and a stopper for said hole comprising a disk adapted to fit into the circular depressionwith the ring-shaped reinforcing' portion, a second disk adapted to be inserted throughthe hole into the bag and then underlie the flexiblev edges of the hole, and clamping means adapted to press the two disks together upon either side of said flexible edges ofthe bag wall, the cooperating inner faces of the two disks adapted to grasp the edges of the bag wall being provided with corresponding indentations and projections, whereby their grip on the thinwall edges is rendered more secure.

WALTER MOEHLE. 

